CFK praises 'new democratic government' after Bachelet meeting

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner today met with Chilean president-elect Michelle Bachelet, and praised the beginning of a "new democratic government" ahead of tomorrow's inauguration ceremony.

"We are delighted to be here in the assumption of a new democratic government, saying goodbye to another democratic government," CFK affirmed following the meeting, emphasising the peaceful handover of power from outgoing incumbent Sebastián Piñera.

"It is important for our countries, which suffered terrible dictatorships that meant a massive reverse."

The head of state will attend the ceremony alongside fellow national leaders as Bachelet is sworn into office in Valparaíso, marking her second term as president.

Greeted earlier on landing in Santiago by the Argentine ambassador in Chile, Ginés González García, the president had praised integration between the two Southern Cone nations, which she saw as crucial for development.

"Integration has allowed us to change the face of this part of the continent, which for decades was not such a happy place for citizens," she remarked.